James Manders

With many years of experience and passion for music, James has a glittering reputation as one of the best session musicians, composers and music coaches in the industry. His original music has been named ‘inspirational’, and he has earned high acclaim from clients and collaborators for his stage presence, friendly professionalism and technical work.

Trained at London College of Music, James has performed as a session guitarist, vocalist and musical director at the UK’s most prestigious venues. Appearing alongside music’s greatest artists including Mariah Carey, Tears For Fears, Lethal Bizzle, Krept & Konan, Emeli Sandé, Craig David and Bastille in live performances aired on prime time television, radio and to audiences in their thousands, James has created and maintained a stellar professional career of over 20 years. A versatile musician, James has also turned his hand to musicals and theatrical productions in the past, and is regularly booked for gigs as part of a Jazz, Rock and Pop trio and as an independent musician.

Alongside the fast-paced life of a session musician James has passed on his hard-earned skills and experience, offering coaching for aspiring musicians of all ages. Noticing a gap in musical tuition for young people, James founded Guitar in Schools, Drums in Schools and Music in Schools, organisations which have provided high quality musical tuition to children in Buckinghamshire. Having recently taken the leap to move to Cornwall, James is now taking on new students for specialist guitar and drum kit tuition.

James is also a passionate and skilled composer, creating soundtracks for television including recent work for Cavendish Music. He has also written, produced and recorded his own original songs, and co-wrote and produced EVER EP. His style masterfully blends Rock, Urban R&B, Latin Jazz and Soul influences with lyrics that come straight from the heart.